'Historical Summary of Events in Territories of the Ottoman Empire, Persia and Arabia affecting the British Position in the Persian Gulf, 1907-1928' [‎26v] (59/188)

50
P. 1969/21.
i
Pol. Agent to Pol.
Res., Sept. 31 1923,
P. 3895/23 ; Pol.
Res. to G. of I.,
Dec. 22 1923,
P. 467/21j July 20
1924, P. 4288/2*4.
Muttah MaJ ' eSty ' B Govenuiient for the defence of the Sultan in Muscat and
th. 3 ?; Sim "} tane < rasl y. wi th the reorganisation of the internal administration,
e steps referred to in para. 40 below were being taken to bring about a
sett ement with the Omani tribes. With the attainment of a settlement in
nnbH^l t ), i . 1 ate t "" u , ltself solvent and in sight of a condition of
political stability such as it had not previously enjoyed.
v/ 4 Wh i 1 f; howe ^er, the active intervention of His Majesty's Government
*r ,™ CUr n i'VT 18 d ® sc . nl ? e , d above iu t!l e affairs of the State, the Sultan,
an agreeable but effete and indolent ruler, who had at no stage displayed the
qualities of character necessary iu the ruler of Oman, saw in the new
fnTI? M 011 t0 cUvest llimself of his wmbal responsibilities,
a m March 19-0, m a private interview with the Viceroy, expressed his
desne to abdicate and to reside permanently in India.
a t:i| 3 ^;? t . h f r .? 0 fii erati0DS al>^ll ■ t, the fact8 that the tribal situation was
critical, that theie was no obvious successor, and that the succession
was a matter ol more tnan local interest in view of the Sultan's international
treaties, rendered the proposal inopportune. Lord Chelmsford declined to
countenance it and His Highness was required to return to Muscat on the
conclusion of his visit. But the Snltan was in name at least independent;
win-ill 1 an i C0 " 0pe £ at1 ??- more liarni th " n good, and a compromise,
rx y , 1 1 ( U + C11 ! g , IS ^'g'li^ess s interference with the administration might
simplify the task of reorganisation, was not altogether without advantage.
a result, the Oinani tribes having in the autumn of 1920 asked that
negotiations might be reopened, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , after personal consulta-
tion uith the Government of India, was authorised to inform the Sultan that
Majesty s Government were willing to assist him in the continued
leconstructioii of his finances and in his negotiations with the rebels on the
lollowmg conditions:—
(а) 1 hat if he persisted in his wish to live away from his State as
much as possible, he should spend not less than five months every
year continuously at Muscat.
(б) That he should authorise the constitution of a regular Advisory
Council, purely Arab in composition, to exercise all the ordinary
Powers^ of administration, not only during his absence, but during
the periods of his presence at Muscat.
(c) 1 hat ho should retain the power to decide ail matters of extraordinary
effecting the interests of his State or his dynasty,
(a) ihat should he at any time change his mind and decide to live
permanently at Muscat, these arrangements should be cancelled,
and he should resume all powers of administration, subject to the
conditions of the loan made to him by His Majesty's Government
(see para. 28 above).
TT . ^ ^ teT " lengthy discussions these conditions were accepted by His
Highness subject to the reduction of the period of his obligatory annual
lesidence at Muscat and to the fixation of his privv purse at Rs. 10 000 per
mensem. 1 he Government of India agreed to modify their requirements ;
the period of residence was fixed at four months and subsequently reduced
to three ; and approval was given to a privy purse of Rs. 10,000 per mensem
subject to His Highness s continued good behaviour and to the continued
ability oi the State finances to bear the strain. An arrangement on these
lines has since been m operation.
i^ioo / 16 ^ 3anc ^ a l P 0 ^^o n § ave ground for increasing uneasiness in 1923
and 1J24. Trade depression had reacted on the customs revenue; the
Egyptian customs officials had not proved an unqualified success—one had
been dismissed while another had resigned ; efforts at retrenchment, and the
imposition of certain minor taxes, produced no substantial result. A lame
increase m revenue could be secured only by an increase in the customs
duty fiom <. pei cent, to 10 per cent., and the existence of treaties between
Muscat and trance and the L.S.A., fixing that duty at 5 per cent., made
action on these lines difficult.